1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to network switches and, more particularly, to a system and method for increasing input/output speeds in a network switch.
2. Introduction
Increasing demands are being placed upon the data communications infrastructure. These increasing demands are driven by various factors, including the increasing bandwidth requirements of multimedia traffic. To accommodate the increasing bandwidth requirements, communication link speeds have also continued to evolve. Today, 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) ports are commonly used. Many of today's network switches, for example, support 10 gigabit I/O port speeds.
Even with 10 GbE ports, increased switch bandwidth is needed. Increasing switch I/O port speeds is a consideration, but such an increase can lead to inefficiencies due to the existence of legacy links. What is needed therefore is a mechanism that increases I/O speeds in a network switch, yet enables support for legacy speeds in an efficient manner.